These Classic & Nostalgic Board Games Cleverly Double As Vintage Decor
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Family game night is all, well, fun and games until it’s time to pack the board games up. The pieces are inevitably not quite fitting right, and impatient kiddos clean it up just like they [begrudgingly] clean up their playroom — by throwing everything in the nearest box and smashing it shut.
And then you’re left with a wonky box and crumpled Monopoly money that becomes as much of an eye-sore as the brightly-colored game itself. So it all gets tucked away in the Toy Room Graveyard: The place where broken toys go to die and where all unsightly toys hide in the shadows, waiting desperately for the day when they’re called upon again.
No, I’m not one for dramatics. Why do you ask?
And so our jaws were on the floor when we found out the Smithsonian Store sells these vintage bookshelf editions of the classic board games of our childhood. The nostalgic games have not only been recreated in a vintage design with a more muted color palate, but they each fit perfectly inside a “book” with the game’s name on the cover and spine.
Take Candy Land (below) for example. Inside the book are cutouts for all the cards and each of the gingerbread men. The board then sits on top, and the book closes perfectly. *Chef’s kiss*
Don’t have a sweet tooth? Don’t worry, the Smithsonian Store has five other nostalgic games available. There’s Clue, Chutes and Ladders, Scrabble, Scattegories, and last, but not least, the age-old, ever-recreated Monopoly. They’re so beautifully crafted that not only will they not be banished to the Toy Room Graveyard, but you’ll probably want to bring them out of the playroom and put them on display. They make a chic statement on any bookshelf, coffee table, or desk because they’re seriously Pinterest-worthy.
Bonus: All the money made from these bookshelf board games — along with any purchases from SmithsonianStore.com — supports the Smithsonian Institution, which is made up of 21 museums and galleries along with the National Zoological Park. So the win is a game for you (well, hopefully, you’re the big winner!) and for this beloved national institution.